Strikers prepare for first home game Saturday

By David Berry

Published 8:49 am, Friday, November 30, 2012

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan,center, who is watching the players work a drill passing the ball around. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan,center, who is watching the players work a drill ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, right, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, right, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 5 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, right, who is watching the players warm up passing the ball around. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, right, who is watching the players warm up ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 6 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, left, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, left, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 7 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan,left, who is using colored cones to set up the next drill. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan,left, who is using colored cones to set up the ... more

Image 9 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, left, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, left, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Image 10 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to the players. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, center, who is giving practice instructions to ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 12 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, right, who is watching the players work a drill passing the ball around. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, right, who is watching the players work a drill ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 13 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, who is pulling practice colored jerserys from a bag for the next drill. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan, who is pulling practice colored jerserys from a ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 14 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Here, the players are giving one of the goalies, center on the turf, some practice shots. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Here, the players are giving one of the goalies, far left, some practice shots. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

Image 16 of 17

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the Professional American Soccer League. Cogan also serves as an assistant coach on the Lamar women's soccer team. Here, the players are giving one of the goalies, left, some practice shots. Dave Ryan/The Enterprise less

The Texas Strikers indoor soccer team held a practice at the Quinn Indoor Complex Monday night 11/26/2012. The head coach/general manager is Chris "Topper" Cogan. This is the Strikers' first season in the ... more

Photo: Dave Ryan

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Strikers prepare for first home game Saturday

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Chris Cogan is a man with a fast-paced life coaching in a fast-paced sport.

Cogan, known to his players as "Topper," has another job as well, as an assistant coach for the Lamar women's soccer team. With less than two months to go from concept to contest, the Strikers conducted four tryouts - two in Beaumont and two in Houston. The remaining players were found either through contact with an agent or word of mouth.

Even working against the clock, Cogan says, everything has come together as smoothly as could be expected.